Thread: Traxide & Optima Auxilliary Battery ??

Gday Mark,

i am sure Tim from Traxide will be along to answer your questions . I have the deisel so can't comment on what room you have , but can say that for many years my optima ran a 45ltr engel and as long as it got some sort of charge every day or 2 I never had any issues .

i must say that the idea the battery would charge slower in the back next to the fridge doesn't sound right to me , but will let Tim explain his system and what you can / can't expect .

Cheers Ean

It doesn’t sound like you have the correct sized starter battery in there? It should take a G14 sized unit I believe (353x175x175mm if my memory serves me correctly).

Originally Posted by Markus1

G'day

Im looking to install a Traxide kit in my D3 petrol to support a 60L waeco living in the back. The fridge will be used for camping only. I noticed lots of people using a 55AH optima yellowtop under the bonnet and via the traxide kit you end up with extra capacity due to utilising the cranking battery capacity somewhat.

Well I only have room for a single optima on the drivers side (nothing on the passenger side unfortunately - maybe the diesels are different???) but what I noticed is that the cranking battery is only 60AH (estimated from RC =136).

Is this going to be sufficient to run the fridge if I were to be driving at least a short trip every couple of days? I can alternatively put a larger AGM in the rear next to the fridge but I've read that might charge slowly compared to the Optima under the bonnet. Which way to go?

If i conservatively work on both batteries sitting at 90% then ive got say 45AH from the Optima to spend, and say 25AH from the crank battery to spend. Thats only 70AH in total, Ahhh! Seems really small to me but then I have no idea about realistic charge rates from the alternator to the Optima under the bonnet v.s. a lesser species larger AGM in the rear. If it charges back up enough in a short drive then i'm laughing. Unfortunately my previous experience charging non AGM deep cycles from the alternator I was never impressed by the charge rates but maybe thats because I dont understand better quality AGM's enough.

I think this one is another non brainer from all accounts. i.e. Get the single Optima and the Traxide kit and supplement with a small solar panel to help out. I do have a 100AH non-AGM in the camper that only runs lights so that can be used as a backup should the vehicle setup get overly drained, but dont want to have to rely on doing that.

What's others experience been? Cheers, Mark

I have a V6 petrol with the Traxide system and a yellow top on the driver side. Works a treat.
Can't check battery details at present, but will get back to you.

Jeffster, your on the ball ! Your post got me checking properly. My battery is a DIN75L MF which is 80AH not 60 AH that i figured. So my situation is already improving !

Its still not the G14 size which appears to be around 95AH, so perhaps thats a future purchase when this one craps itself.

Good to know that the single Optima is working a treat for people!

Cheers

Yellow top will be fine for a couple of days running the fridge as a fridge not as a freezer
I have been running a yellow top for years just for fridge use with no issues not D3 specific .

Even tho im not using a traxide at the moment (Other Brand) I have done in the past with this set up on other Rovers all with out issue

Here you go - all fits fine.
main.jpgyellow top.jpg